hello friends it's the 2018 NBA Playoffs, a place where dreams GO 2 DIE

ha the playoffs are good

That slo-mo is beautiful. The way the spotlights converge on them just as their bodies meet. I wish they had to play against each other every game.

i think the problem w/ the fultz/tatum trade is that not just that tatum is probably better than fultz -- though that is bad -- but that in philly's system they'd be playing the same exact role. fultz is nominally a PG but with simmons & embiid entrenched his time spent dominating the ball will be very minimal. he is very long for a PG and was a great shooter in college so he can play off the ball and fit w/ their length on defense but uh... that all describes tatum too! it just seems like not only did they misevaluate the players but also didn't quite understand how either would function on their team, which i think is worse.

― J0rdan S., Friday, May 4, 2018 5:07 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah goo point

― lag∞n, Friday, May 4, 2018 5:08 PM (yesterday)

it is soooooo much easier to say this with the benefit of hindsight. the draft is a crapshoot

otm

the only people questioning the fultz pick at the time were people who thought lonzo was better

well except for

https://i.imgur.com/d5oMmWM.png

and thats who the sixers are competing against not tweeters or message board posters or whoever

also theres just looking at results, even if there is a lot of uncertainty in the draft some orgs tend to draft better, aaand in this case prob phillys biggest fuck up was giving up a very valuable pick to move up two spots for a player that if were talking about predraft consensus most ppl didnt think was anything special for a #1 pick

it cld end up being a franchise defining fuck up, now philly needs to fill holes via free agency where they cld easily have been stacked w homegrown talent

Celtics were 9.5-point underdogs leading up to Game 3. Looks like only two other times this season that the Celtics were bigger underdogs:

Jan. 27 at Golden State (L, 109-105)

March 28 at Utah (W, 97-94)

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 5, 2018

well except for

https://i.imgur.com/d5oMmWM.png

― lag∞n, Saturday, May 5, 2018 4:04 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and thats who the sixers are competing against not tweeters or message board posters or whoever

― lag∞n, Saturday, May 5, 2018 4:06 PM (one hour ago)

sure some front offices are better than others, but on draft night we are still talking about a shift in percentages rather than one guy knowing what he's talking about and the other guy having no clue. and this doesn't even begin to consider the advantage teams like the celtics with great organizational direction and coaching/training staffs have. nor does it take into account the vagaries of circumstance, namely that if the Cs prize free agent didn't break his leg 5 minutes into the season, and if fultz didn't fall in with that weirdo and forget how to shoot, the narrative could look a lot different

fultz could still end up being the best player in the draft

simmons just took a shot from outside 8 feet!

fultz could still end up being the best player in the draft

I’m actually watching this game because my gf is out of town it’s like old times

When has a player ever had a start this worrying and turned out to be the best player in his draft
― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, May 5, 2018 2:28 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permal

never but we've never had a start like this so it's hard to really know how this is gonna turn out.

I think it’s a not entirely different start from Anthony Bennett

philly has come out w some absolutely pitiful energy here, not sure ive ever seem quite like this in a home game 3, the fans are totally silent too lol whats goin on

they look shoook!

sure some front offices are better than others, but on draft night we are still talking about a shift in percentages rather than one guy knowing what he's talking about and the other guy having no clue.

― k3vin k., Saturday, May 5, 2018 5:11 PM (thirty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol is that a fact

and this doesn't even begin to consider the advantage teams like the celtics with great organizational direction and coaching/training staffs have. nor does it take into account the vagaries of circumstance, namely that if the Cs prize free agent didn't break his leg 5 minutes into the season, and if fultz didn't fall in with that weirdo and forget how to shoot, the narrative could look a lot different

― k3vin k., Saturday, May 5, 2018 5:11 PM (thirty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wut

tatum started opening night btw

brad leading the charge for leaving a player w 3 fouls in the 2nd q in the game

the officiating itg has not been too great

If terry Rozier makes jumpshots he’s a really good player

so proud of terry

celtics deciding to not cover shooters for no reason for a bit

Is Marcus smart a smarter basketball player than Javale

brown has some nice ato plays

jaylen's shot looks so good.

feel bad for the tv crew trying to will philly into showing some moxie

Is Marcus smart a smarter basketball player than Javale

― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, May 5, 2018 6:06 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

marcus is... odd, but yes smarter than javale

man joel takes a ton of bad/unnecessarily difficult shots

Part of Smarts value is in making the right disruptive play at exactly the right moment. Have to imagine that requires a degree of smarts or instinct and Javale hasn't really shown anything like that kind of smarts... Smart.

Marcus Smart does things that are just indefensibly crazy tho. As often as Javale does I think

Idle thought I dunno what will happen with Fultz but I honestly think if i were a gm and someone holding the #1 pick is willing to trade it and move back I immediately assume I missed something important and hang up and rethink

The only time trading back from 1 seems to work are those massive football trades where you parlay it into an entir defensive line r whatever

yeah especially when its the famous danny ainge, tho tbf philly did give up a lot

With Smart you can most of the time feel out a method to the madness. Javale's brain farts feel less intentional.

Still feels way to early for retrospectives on Fultz

Bellini takes some terrible shots.

this is not a playoff quality basketball game

ILH, the one place where every other game is 'not good basketball'.

hello whoever you are

the fix is in

a lot of missed shots from marcuses in this game

hello whoever you are

― lag∞n, Saturday, May 5, 2018 7:02 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha someone who believes the best basketball writing is on this very board

tatum is like +22 right now

Danny Ainge did offer 18 picks for justise Winslow

it's true, i am bill simmons and i am #harvesting #content right now

xxp

Matt Armstrong
Posted: May 5, 2018 at 5:05:52 PM
Danny Ainge did offer 18 picks for justise Winslow

why didnt anyone take them.......

I remember some guy on twitter tried to convince me Jaylen Brown was bad on defense. I think he’s wrong